Subscriptions will be easier to cancel and companies will be compelled to make it clear when contracts auto-renew at a higher price, Andy Burnham has announced.
The prime minister is also planning to outlaw shops from falsely claiming products previously retailed at much higher prices to advertise supposed deals, which he said tricks shoppers into thinking they are getting better value on purchases.
Burnham will bring forward a package of changes announced under his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer to end so-called subscription traps and a crackdown on “pretend prices”.
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride branded the measures “reheated” and said the prime minister “has already run out of ideas”.
The plans were announced under Sir Keir in April, but are being brought forward by Burnham’s government in a bid to give families “room to breathe” amid the high cost of living.
On subscriptions, the government said the changes will mean businesses have “to provide clearer up-front information, regular reminders and a much easier exit to contracts” for customers.
Burnham, who is embarking on a tour of the UK while Parliament is in recess, has promised a series of “everyday fixes” to help people with the cost of living.
He said: “I’m determined to pull every single lever we can to provide people with some room to breathe on the cost of living.”
The measures being brought forward are aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and stopping people being rolled onto expensive contracts without their knowledge.
They were expected to come into force next spring, but Burnham’s government has promised they will now be implemented by January 2027.
When they were announced in April, the government said the plans would save consumers £400m a year in total, or up to £170 per person.
At the time, the Department for Business and Trade said there are 10 million unwanted, active subscriptions across the UK.
It said that more than 3.5 million people are being “quietly rolled from free or discounted trials into fully costed contracts”, while another 1.3 million are caught out by unexpected auto-renewals.
On top of the already planned changes, Burnham is also vowing to end shops’ use of “pretend prices”. This will stop retailers using “was” prices, made-up discounts or misleading recommended retail prices (RRPs) to highlight deals.
The government will launch a consultation this autumn to decide how the new measures should be implemented.
